PR is an important part of your marketing strategy. Where marketing is the action of promoting your products or services. The different methods you use for marketing form your strategy, and one of these methods can be PR.
PR is all about building a great reputation, it’s about how people see you and see your business. In essence it’s everything you say and do and how your audience perceives this.
PR is drawing attention to the positive things about your business in a place where you potential customers are likely to see. To do this you need to think about your ideal customer and what they are likely to be reading or listening to and target these sources with the stories you want to share. Throughout my work I have realised the importance of reaching your target audience and then maximising upon it.
As you can imagine, sharing any positive stories about your business can have massive benefits for your company when it comes to marketing. Not only does it get your brand name out there, but it also shows your clients the kind of company you are and allows you to build a relationship with them through your shared ideals. By being forthcoming in presenting your values and ethics, you will be able to connect and network with others a lot easier.
Even better, PR opportunities come from someone else’s perspective. As much as you can shout about how great you are, for your prospective clients hearing it from a source that they trust is likely to carry far more weight. Word of mouth is one of the most valuable methods of marketing yourself, by having a friend inform a friend you will create a network of contacts quickly and easily. The benefits of word of mouth for PR is exponential, with many statistics shedding light on this, including that 20-50% of all purchasing decisions are influenced directly by word of mouth. Similarly, 58% of customers share positive experiences and talk about brands on social media if they are pleased with their experience.
Another potential angle to try with your PR is to share advice. As a business owner in your respective industry, you are likely to have some real knowledge that will be of use to your current and potential clients. Sharing this can establish you as an expert in your field creating trust between you and your audience that you know your job and are the best place for them to go for your service. In my experience, it is invaluable to sell yourself as a top competitor because if you believe that you are the top of your game then so will others.
Give it some thought:
● What do you love doing? What is your ‘thing’ (this does not need to be business related). What are you amazing at?
● What knowledge do you have that no one else has?
● Where can you share this knowledge?
For example, as a sports coach you may be able to share some information on fantastic exercises you could be doing from home to keep fit. An article on this in a sport or fitness magazine gets you in front of a massive audience of prospective clients who now know who you are, what you do and that you have the knowledge to help them. As previously mentioned, it is vital that you tap into your target audience and then you need to maximise upon this. Coverage in a sport or fitness magazine allows you to reach a wide variety of readers who would already have a keen interest in what you do.
With the hard times at the moment, it is important as a brand and a business that you stay at the forefront of people’s minds. You need to be seen as a formidable force, both memorable and reliable. People are looking to companies they trust. It is important for a potential customer to know how you are evolving to deal with the current climate amidst the difficulties in the world. So, take some time to think about what you could bring to the table at the moment to help with our new normal and start sharing it with your audience.
